A Vision of the future: our 60:60 Vision campaign

A Vision of the future: our 60:60 Vision campaign

Catrin Edwards

Living label free, eye transplants, face recognition software in our homes…. These are just a few of the things Deafblind Cymru’s Neath social group told me they would like to see made possible in 60 years’ time to improve the lives of deafblind people.

Have you ever wondered what the world might be like in 60 years’ time?

This year, Sense is turning 60. As part of our 60th anniversary year, we’re not only looking back to celebrate how far we’ve come but we’re looking forward another 60 years to think about how much better our world could be for deafblind people. Sense is asking deafblind people, their families and supporters: What is your 60:60 Vision?

I want to make sure we hear Welsh voices in these visions so this year I’ll be reaching out to deafblind people in Wales and Sense Cymru activists to help you develop your visions of the future.

We hope that the 60:60 Visions we develop are collaborative, include voices from home and internationally, and work together to find shared solutions.

What difference can it make anyway?

Not only will your vision help to form the basis of Sense’s campaigns for the coming year, we’ll also use your vision to engage decision makers in a positive and constructive way. We want to challenge decision makers, including those in Cardiff Bay, to build policies and find solutions now that take us closer to the enabling future we want.

In Wales, we know that this kind of visioning exercise can have a real impact on government. Earlier this month the Well-being of Future Generations Act was passed by the Welsh Assembly. To inform the 7 sustainable development goals that underpin this Act, the Sustainable Futures Commissioner, Peter Davies, held a National Conversation with the people of Wales about “the Wales we want” for the year 2050. We came out strongly in support of building “a more equal Wales” and from 2016 onwards the Welsh Government and public bodies in Wales will have a legal duty to work towards this goal.

But it’s not all about laws and policies

This is also a chance for you to come together, to get involved and to get creative. Share your 60:60 Vision with a friend. Collaborate – with Mrs Jones down the road in Neath or with a stranger on the other side of the world. Sometimes getting a fresh perspective on an issue helps us to come up with ideas we’d never have thought possible.